BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration and CVS today announced the launch of a new rapid testing site in Lowell, which will enable on-the-spot COVID-19 testing and results at no cost. The new CVS site in Lowell will use the new Abbott ID NOW™ COVID-19 test. With the launch of this site, Massachusetts is the third state where CVS has launched rapid testing sites, joining Georgia and Rhode Island.
CVS Health will be transitioning its efforts to support COVID-19 testing in Mass. to the Lowell location, which allows for up to 1,000 patients to be tested per day and receive results on-site so they can properly quarantine or seek treatment as appropriate. As a result, the company will be halting COVID-19 testing at the original Shrewsbury pilot testing site.
“By working with a wide range of partners, we have dramatically increased Massachusetts’ COVID-19 testing capacity, and we are grateful to CVS for their partnership in launching this new rapid testing site,” said Governor Charlie Baker.“The continued expansion of testing, along with our new efforts around community tracing, will enable the Commonwealth to better track and slow the spread of this virus.”
“Our initial experience in Massachusetts has enabled us to expand testing into other states while maximizing efficiency and safety,” said Troyen Brennan, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, CVS Health. “We are now able to significantly improve upon our testing capabilities in Massachusetts, greatly expanding access to testing with rapid results for eligible individuals.”
Similar to the CVS rapid COVID-19 test sites in Georgia and Rhode Island, testing at the Lowell site will be overseen by licensed health care providers from MinuteClinic, the retail medical clinic of CVS Health. The rapid COVID-19 testing will take place in the parking lot of the Showcase Cinemas located at 32 Reiss Avenue, in Lowell, and no testing will take place at CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic locations. Patients will need to pre-register in advance online at CVS.com in order to schedule a same-day time slot for testing.
Thanks to the efforts of public and private laboratories and health care partners, Massachusetts has dramatically increased COVID-19 testing capacity and output. In addition to the Department of Public Health’s State Public Health Laboratory, more than 22 public and private labs are completing testing. As of yesterday, 76,429 patients have been tested, with 4,492 tested yesterday alone. The Department of Public Health reports on cases and testing daily at Mass.Gov/covid19.
The Baker-Polito Administration will continue to update the public on developments related to COVID-19. Residents can visit www.mass.gov/covid19 for the latest information, call 2-1-1 with questions, and text “COVIDMA” to 888-777 to subscribe to text-alert updates.
